With over 50,000 people expected to attend the event, Chicago’s first-ever street race plans to be a big spectacle and the city is prepared to alter street access before, during, and after the week-long NASCAR Cup Series event.
Start your engines as NASCAR’s 2023 is coming to town this summer with tickets to the event currently on sale. As the city prepares for the high-profile race, they’re announcing road closures ahead of time so Chicago residents can make adjustments navigating the city with major roadways closed down.
What we know about road closures
Ahead of the major event, the city will experience road closures including major roadways such as DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Columbus Drive, Jackson Drive, Balbo Drive, and Michigan Avenue.
NASCAR’s 2-day Chicago Street Race and music festival is scheduled for early July but road closures are expected to start before, lasting for several days prior to and after the event concludes according to officials.
The NASCAR Cup Series street course race will take place on July 1-2nd, yet major street closures like Columbus Drive, and Michigan Avenue, along with DuSable Lake Shore Drive are going to begin as early as June 2nd.
Keep reading for the full list of closures:
- June 2, starting at 6 a.m. parking restrictions will begin along southbound Columbus Drive, between Jackson and Balbo Drives.
- June 5: Parking restrictions start on northbound Columbus Drive between Jackson and Balbo Drives.
- June 10: Ida B. Wells Drive closes between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive, allowing for construction to begin on main viewing areas.
- June 17: Temporary road closures start as track walls are installed.
- June 25: Columbus Drive will shut down between Jackson Drive and Roosevelt Road starting at 12 a.m.
- June 28, 10 p.m.: DuSable Lake Shore Drive Southbound closes from Randolph Street to McFetridge Drive.
- June 29: Roosevelt Road closes east of Columbus Drive along with Northbound Michigan Avenue.
- June 30: Southbound Michigan Avenue shuts down between Balbo and Jackson Drives.
- July 1, 4 a.m.: DuSable Lake Shore Drive Northbound closes between McFetridge Drive and Randolph Road, to adjust for safety precautions.
Another issue at hand contends with stalled traffic as event breakdown plans are scheduled to continue into later July, just as other major events take place at Grant Park. According to officials, rerouting information and re-opening timelines will become available later this month on the official event website.
- Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive plans to reopen on July 2. Other roads plan to open back up on July 3rd starting at 7 a.m.
- Racetrack teardown is expected to take multiple days, with the full event deconstruction done by July 15th.
For now, NASCAR officials, the city of Chicago, and the Chicago Park District are set to host a virtual community meeting this Wednesday at 6 p.m. where the public will be able to learn more about street closures and ask questions.
The expansive race course
The city has signed a 3-year partnership deal with NASCAR to host their annual NASCAR Cup Series. The race, which was announced last July, is scheduled for July 1-2 of this year. Covering a 2.2-mile, 12-turn course, the race will start in Grant Park with Buckingham Fountain marking the start and end place. Covering Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue, Columbus Drive, and other surrounding streets, the high-intensity race is sure to be a spectacle to behold.
Tickets are now on sale
Even with scheduled street closures, the event is sure to draw a crowd as general admission tickets went on sale last month as of today, with two-day prices starting at $269. Reserve your seats, or opt for a suite or a specialty package to complete the experience. Depending on which ticket you opt for, you could also get access to extra events like post-race concerts, and more. NASCAR already released their two-day reserved tickets in November, which start at $465.
The street race will offer an array of opportunities from reserved seating to a variety of premium packages. With multiple options offered, there’s something for everyone whether you sign up for one of the Presidents Paddock Club packages, the Trackside Club packages or a Reserved Seating package. With General Admission now on sale, there’s even more opportunity to attend the race at a price point that works for you!
Additional events surrounding the race
The race will also include surrounding events like concerts and fan gatherings. With a series of big-name performers set to headline concerts during the two-day event, audience members can expect to see sets from artists like the Chainsmokers, Miranda Lambert, The Black Crowes, and Charley Crockett (among others) at the NASCAR Cup Series’ Chicago Street Race from July 1-2.
It’s the first of its kind
The race will be the first of its kind in Chicago and falls in line with something Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president of racing development and strategies, said about his initiative to transform the ‘Cup Series’ schedule by adding new, splashy events in major markets. The goal here is to create more races that generate increased fan interest along with removing the same tracks hosting multiple races.
They first tested the idea with an online iRacing event on a 12-turn virtual circuit. The template used for the virtual event started on South Columbus Drive near Buckingham Fountain. This event created the template officials used to plan the actual physical track. NASCAR hosted races at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet from 2001-2019, but this will be the first big race in the area since then.